The Painters’ Journey at Pao Galleries

^{Hong Kong Triptych, January 2014, oil on canvas | © Euan Macleod}

Starting in 2012, two renowned artists from the Antipodes embarked on a two-year journey through China and Hong Kong, and the results have come together in an evocative exhibition taking place at Pao Galleries from now until April 21. Australian Peter Godwin and New Zealander Euan Macleod together created over 60 original works during their time exploring Guilin, Shanghai and Hong Kong with The Nock Art Foundation’s Michael Nock and Australian photographer Jason Capobianco, whose works are also included in this unique showing. The exhibition is jointly curated by The Nock Foundation, and Sydney’s Defiance Gallery Director, Campbell Robertson-Swann.

What is most intriguing about the finished pieces is how each artist diverged from their usual style, moving away from their comfort zones. Usually known for his depictions of grand natural Australian landscapes and rolling mountains, Macleod surprised viewers with his poignant impressions of Hong Kong’s concrete city scenes rendered in icy blues and watery greys. But Macleod’s penchant for including mysterious figures – they flit, ghostlike, across his canvasses – also finds its way into the city’s most recognisable vistas.

^{Li River Landscape, September 2013, acrylic on hemp, 85.5 x 105.5cm | © Peter Godwin}

Instead, it was Peter Godwin who found his solace in the dramatic green topography of Guilin, eschewing the rough, modern contours of the city for China’s lush mountains. It, too, was a marked difference from his usual work, which focuses more on the loneliness of still life, and less on nature. Godwin renders the iconic landscapes in shades of misty orange, smoky grey-blues and cloudy whites, which are a welcome change from the more literal emerald impressions favoured by those who paint Guilin.

Don’t miss also the small but impactful pieces by Nock, a painter in his own right, and behind-the-scenes photographs of the journey by Capobianco.

The Painters’ Journey: Hong Kong – China
Date: April 2 – 21, 2014
Venue: Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai